Intermittent and automatic outflow of various materials



Dec. 30, 1947. DA 2,433,684

'INTE MI'TTE NT AND AUTOMATiC suirFLow OF VARIOUS MATERIALS 4 Filed Aug. 4, 193B INVENTOR AT TO E NEYS EMILE DAMO 0 Patented Dec. 30, 1947 INTERMITTENT AND AsU'EDMATIG UT-FLOW= OF VARIOUS MATERIALS.

Emile Damond, Paris; France Application August 4, 1938;;Serial $10,223,008: In France August:9,';193'7' Section 3,-Pillili Law 690, Augusfi'S; 1946" Patent expires Augu'st9; 1957-" 3 Claims.

The present V invention has for its object the provision of a device" which can be applied'in particular to thesand-rboxesof locomotives or of motor-rails to enable dry, moist or water-saturated sand of the desired" size of grain; to be stored-and distributed as near the rails as desired. The rate of outflow, which may be variable, can be controlled from a distance. The apparatus has neither valves nor gates for permitting or preventing the outflow of the sand; it also does not involve the use of a mechanical member such as a screw, or the use of a fluid such as steam or compressed air, for causing the displacement of the sand and the outflow of same on to the track. Such outflow is obtained by subjecting the container in which the sand is stored to a vibratory movement. As soon as the vibration is applied, if the openings of the hopper are suitably designed, the sand flows out; the outflow stops as soon as the vibration stops.

The system has extremely numerous and varied applications.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, one of such applications, namely, an embodiment of the system applied to a locomotive sand box.

In the embodiment of the drawing, which shows the application of the system to a locomotive, the hopper l, which contains the sand, is resiliently suspended, for example by means of elastic rubber cords 2 inside a frame 3. Said hopper is thus isolated and can be set in vibration with out such vibration being appreciably transmitted to the frame 3. The hopper I is extended downwardly by a pipe 4. Said pipe is provided with one or a plurality of bends, such as 4 or with one or a plurality of baflles or sills or any other arrangements such that, although the hopper freely communicates with the outside through the pipe, the sand is retained during the stationary period and flows out as soon as the vibration apparatus is started. The end of the pipe 4 may be provided with a nozzle 5 which ensures the best possible flow of the sand on to the rail. One or a plurality of vibrators are placed on the hopper, at 6 and 6 for example. The vibrators 6 and 6 which are indicated diagrammatically in the drawing, are known per se and may consist of electro-motors the shafts of which drive eccentrics transmitting their movement by means of arms to the hopper l. These arms are connected to the hopper I, while the vibrator motors are carried by the frame 3.

Inside the hopper, it is advantageous to provide a grating l which is intended to receive the foreign -bodies whicliL-m'ighp U accidentally int roduced into the-."hoppenrand' thus.- obstruct the:

In order to enable. th'eioutflow of sand 1301196: 3, controlled; it -is :possiblpforexample;.toivarythei speedi of the i vibratoistors the resiliency: oftheir fixing on the hopper, or the number of vibrators set in motion.

For the same purpose, the frame 3 which supports the whole of the vibrating device is pivoted about a shaft 8, in such a manner that it is possible to incline the whole of the device more or less relatively to the vertical. The obstacle to the outflow of the sand which is formed by the arrangement of the tube 4 (bend, baffle, etc.) can thus be decreased or increased at will. For this purpose, the frame 3 may be provided for example, with an arm 9 which is connected to an adjusting screw ll] provided with a nut II which enables the apparatus to be brought into and locked in the selected position.

A water supply pipe l2, which is provided with a cock l3, may be provided for the purpose of keeping the sand contained in the hopper at a certain degree of moistness.

The hopper may of course have one or a plurality of openings and one or a plurality of outflow pipes which will each supply a predetermined quantity of sand.

The suspended unit which has just been described, viz. the hopper and the pipe, is insensitive to shocks, to the negotiation of curves and to acceleration, owing to its resilient suspension. The outflow of the sand only takes place under the action of the vibrator or vibrators. It stops as soon as such action stops.

In certain cases of particularly gentle and uniform motion, it would of course be possible to eliminate the resilient suspension of the hopper.

As will be understood, the system includes very numerous embodiments for different applications, for controlling the outflow of the most varied solid, pasty or viscous materials from the storage containers. The vibration may be directly or indirectly applied, either to the walls of the container, or to the material itself, or to both at once.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A sanding device for railway tracks and the like, said device comprising a hopper adapted to contain the sand, a frame mounted on a railway vehicle, elastic members connecting said hopper with said frame to support said hopper, at least one vibrator carried by said frame and connected with said hopper to vibrate the latter, means actuating the vibrator, and a conduit carried by said hopper for the removal of sand from said vehicle, means connected with said frame for pivotally supporting the same, means connected with said frame for inclining said frame andvarying the inclination thereof, elastic members connecting said hopper with said frame to support said hopper, at least one vibrator carried by said frame and connected with said hopper to vibrate the latter, means actuating the vibratorand a conduit carried by said hopper for the removal of sand from said hopper, said conduit comprising means preventing the outflow of sand when the hopper is not vibrated.

3. A sanding device for railway tracks and the like, said device comprising a hopper adapted to contain the sand, an angular frame mounted on a railway vehicle, a plurality of elastic cords connecting said hopper with said frame to support said hopper and extending to the angles of said frame, at least one vibrator carried by said frame and connected with said hopper to vibrate the latter, means actuating the vibrator and a conduit carried by said hopper for the removal of sand from said hopper, said conduit comprising means preventing the outflow of sand when the hopper is not vibrated.

EMILE DAMOND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

